Hunter riders took centre stage at the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park last week for the first phase of the Caledon Premier Series, featuring two always-exciting Hunter Derby classes.
With much of the international-level field of jumpers competing at Alberta’s Spruce Meadows for the week, the hunters got a chance to strut their stuff in one of the two main jumper rings at the park, as Jumper Ring One was converted to a hunter course for much of the week.
The ring also played host to two Hunter Derbies on Saturday, starting with Natasha Skupsky taking the $3000 three-foot OHJA Junior-Amateur Hunter Derby on Affidavit, owned by Amatoville Enterprises Inc.
Toronto’s Cawthra Burns followed that up by beating out a field of 31 and winning the $3,000 J. Gibson Design Canadian Hunter Derby, part of the Canadian Hunter Derby Series, on her mount Posh. Caledon resident Erynn Ballard was both second and third in the class on her rides Cenerife, owned by Alison Dyer-Fagundo, and Christel Weller’s Confession, respectively.
Also on Saturday, Caledon resident Erin Ugolini, out of Sorensen Stables located in Caledon East, won the $2,500 Low Child/Adult Hunter Classic aboard Wellington, owned by Toni Hickox.
Not to be outdone on the jumper side of things, just 10 weeks removed from open heart surgery to correct a congenital defect, Neil Badcock of King City impressed on his mount Corrido – taking both the $5,000 Open Jumper Welcome on Friday, and Sunday’s $10,000 Modified Grand Prix. Corrido is owned by Jessie Bonisteel.
“Today’s ride was really a gift from the horse to me. (Corrido) is a wonderful horse,” said Badcock of his ride on Sunday. “Whenever you have good competitors in the field it always makes you rise to the occasion, and there’s always a little luck involved too. It was a good field to jump off against”
“He’s a seven-year-old Holsteiner I’ve only had him for about a year, and he’s stepped up a lot this year from the meter-twenty-fives to the meter-forties. He’s probably one of the more special ones I’ve ever had,” said Badcock of Corrido.
The week’s competition closed out Sunday with Olivia Wierenga of Woodstock taking home the final class of the day in the $1500 Adena Springs Long Run TB Hunter Classic on her horse Atlantis.
Coming up this week is the second phase of the Caledon Premiere, running July 2-6. The week’s competition includes an exciting weekend of show jumping featuring a $5000 Open Jumper Welcome on Friday, a $2000 Junior-Amateur Gambler’s Choice Joker Class on Saturday, followed by the $10,000 Leon’s Furniture Orangeville Grand Prix on Sunday.
Results
$10,000 Modified Grand Prix (June 29)
1. Neil Badcock – Corrido (Jessie Bonisteel)
2. Andrew Bourns – La De Da (Andrew Bourns)
3. Hugh Joseph Graham – Knock Out 3E (Kingridge Stables)
4. Elissa Reisman – Aragon (Taboo International Inc.)
5. James Gillam – Channel (Maggie Webster)
$5,000 Open Welcome (June 27)
1. Neil Badcock – Corrido (Jessie Bonisteel)
2. James Gillam – Channel (Maggie Webster)
3. Michelle Vandal – Travola (Christina Woodley)
4. Peter Gisborn – Cartouche (Janet Faloney)
5. Grant Field – Baffin (Grant Field)
$3,000 J. Gibson Design Canadian Hunter Derby (June 28)
1. Cawthra Burns– Posh (Cawthra Burns
2. Erynn Ballard – Cenerife (Alison Dyer-Fagundo)
3. Erynn Ballard – Confession (Christel Weller)
4. Mackenzie Wray – Delany (Redfield Farm)
5. Dee Walker – Stella (Zoe Meloff)
$3,000 OHJA Junior/Amateur 3’ Hunter Derby (June 28)
1. Natasha Skupsky – Natasha Skupsky (Amatoville Enterprises Inc.)
2. Christine Carlsen – Berlena (Christine Carlsen)
3. Sidney Jefferson – Socialite (Sidney Jefferson)
4. Cara Klein – LadyBird D’Aursay (Mark Hayes)
5. James Andrews – Porter (James Andrews)
$2,500 Low Child Adult Hunter Classic (June 28)
1. Erin Ugolini – Wellington (Toni Hickox)
2. Jaclyn Tattersall – Berlusco (Danielle Kendall)
3. Victoria Alfano – Callado (Joni Marinich)
4. Michelle Aylward – Jasper (Sean Wilson)
5. Jamie Souccar-Young – Livin’ Large (Jamie Souccar-Young)
$1,500 Adena Springs Long Run TB Hunter Classic (June 29)
1. Olivia Wierenga – Atlantis (Olivia Wierenga)
2. Scott McKay – Northbolt (Cindy Phillips-Wood)
3. Deborah Weir – Red October (Deborah Weir)
4. Olivia Hathaway – Little Red (Vicki Edgar)
5. Chandra Morency De Martinez – Desert Express (Glenice Demers)
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